SOUNDING ROCKETS: TECHNOLOGICAL PROGRESS IN THE SKYRocket technology - drive for research

WARR Rocketry:
Founded in 1962 and thus the oldest branch of WARR, the Scientific Research Group for Rocketry and Astronautics at the Technical University of Munich.

Whether aerospace, mechanical engineering, economics or business administration - with the "Nixus" project, WARR Rocketry students are driving forward the development of a sounding rocket fuelled by liquid propellant.

The Nixus team at WARR Rocketry is relying on safety valves from GOETZE for the rocket drive and the test stand's fluid system.

GOETZE safety valves: Reliable partners in the aerospace industry

Our compact yet powerful safety valves play a decisive role in safeguarding the fluid system of the sounding rocket "Nixus". Our valves ensure the safety and functionality of both the test stand and the "Ex-4" rocket when using liquid propellant.

ADAPTATION TO COMPLEX REQUIREMENTSSafety and efficiency in engine testing

The Ground Support Equipment team (GSE team) is part of the project, working on the design, development and manufacture of the ground infrastructure needed to test the individual components. One of the milestones was the development of a test stand for the engines, which can be used for testing both the smaller, capacitively cooled and the regeneratively cooled combustion chamber in Garching. Due to the complex nature of a liquid-fuelled rocket, challenges arise in both the structure and the fluid system of the test stand.

The GSE team uses GOETZE safety valves to safeguard this test stand.

Focus on liquid fuel and safety valves:

The engines currently being developed by the team work with the fuel ethanol and the oxidiser liquid oxygen (LOX), which are fed to the engine via the test stand's fluid system.

The Series 492 safety valves protect various segments of the fluid system, such as the tanks for ethanol and liquid oxygen (LOX). The GOX design of the Series 492 results here from the use of liquid oxygen, with which the valve has no contact, but with which an oxygen atmosphere is created by the vaporisation of the LOX above the tank.

The ethanol fuel is channelled past the outer wall of the combustion chamber for regenerative cooling. The ethanol tank must be pressurised to a higher pressure so that the resulting pressure loss can be compensated and the ethanol and oxygen can be injected into the combustion chamber at the same pressure.

Series 492 with an opening pressure of 130 bar is the safe choice here.

About Series 492

The Series 2400 Stainless steel safety valve is used to protect the LOX refuelling system. It protects important parts, such as a vacuum hose, from excessive pressure.

About the 2400 Series

FULFILMENT OF THE HIGHEST REQUIREMENTSThe Ex-4 rocket for the European Rocketry Challenge

In parallel to the tests on the completed test bench and based on the findings of the test series, the WARR team also built the "Ex-4" rocket for participation in the European Rocketry Challenge 2023 in Portugal.

Here, the fluid team took on responsibility for designing and sizing the fluid system, which ensures that the fuel is pumped from the tanks into the combustion chamber.

GOETZE VALVES IN THE "EX-4" ROCKETConception and realisation of the fluid system

GOETZE safety valves were also used again to protect the safety-critical components of the rocket.

Compared to the test application, the valves used here fulfil the same function as on the test stand, but the use for the rocket places more demands on the safety valves.

In order to maximise the flight altitude, for example, the mass and volume must be minimised. Thanks to their compact design, the GOETZE valves are well within the requirement margins.

This means that the Scientific Research Centre for Rocketry and Astronautics (WARR) at the Technical University of Munich is ideally equipped for a successful launch at the next challenge, when the motto is:

t-minus 5 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 1 – 0 – ignition and lift-of